You know when someone gives you a gift and it makes you SO HAPPY because you know that they were thinking about you the whole time? It could be something you mentioned or enjoy. Something you always wanted or never knew existed, but it’s so perfect?

Not many people know, but I really like watching sports. I didn’t really grow up watching, I didn’t play sports in high school and I didn’t go to a school with a nationally ranked team, so I never really “got into” sports. But I love watching. I think there is something beautiful about being part of a team and something equally as beautiful about being a fan.

Anyway, I digress.

I always pick brackets for the NCAA championships and I ALWAYS pick Duke. I like Duke. I really like Coach K and I always root for them (sorry family). I think he is a great coach. From what I have read about him, he has a great coaching ethic and teaches the players life lessons alongside lessons that pertain to basketball. Coaches like him, Wooden (that man is just in a league of his own) and many others, prove that being successful is more than just winning. It’s about who you are on, and off the court/field etc. I learn so much from reading about coaches, teams and sports legends. Sports stories, movies and books always leave me breathless (and usually in tears).

He stood in line for several hours for ME! He even told Coach K about me (sweet). I just love that he went out of his way to do that. I can’t wait to dive in and read about the stories that Coach K will share because I know that I will leave the book, having learned something about his experiances and something about myself.

I started reading the introduction and this paragraph stood out to me in particular:

“Every team needs an ultimate goal, a purpose for which it unites and prepares. Thinking about the goal that lies ahead is what gives your team energy. It’s what you get excited about. It’s why you practice hard. No matter what intermediate steps you take, your team should always have your ultimate goal in mind and allow its pursuit to invigorate you.”

Thank you so much, Jonathan. I can’t wait to start reading it tonight. What a thoughtful gift you gave me.

8 responses to “just plain cool.”

That’ so cool! When we moved here to Ames, my hubbie told me that we would be going to church with the world’s greatest wrestler. So I did a little research… Lo and behold, Kael Sanderson, undeafeted, Olympic gold medalist, super wrestler was (he just got a job for head coach at Penn State) the head wrestling coach here at Iowa State. Pretty cool. I think that’s the only famous athlete/sports person I’ve ever met. My hubbie did meet Rulon Gardener at the airport when he was coming home from the Olympics (what’s with the wrestlers?).